Cloth cutting machine



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. J WOLF, Jr CLOTH CUTTING MACHINE.

Patentd Nov. 9; 1897.

IN VEN TOR .f Attorney QLQM%.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J.WOLF, Jr. GLDTH CUTTING MACHINE.

No. 593,265. Patented Nov. 9, 1897.

j l al I 4 Sheets-Sheet 3. J. WOLF, Jr. CLOTH CUTTING MACHINE.

Patented Nov. 9, 1897.

a/ zu (No Model.)

[N VEN TOR f l @i Atorney @0f fd.. u^w O wllGFLU j VMT l. ...,IIVH lILlllllTl ||`Y|HLIIIMIIF|ILTI I y III .l 0 r X a Il (No Model.) 4Sheets-Sheet 4. J WOLF, J r CLOTH CUTTING MACHINE.

No. 593,265. Patented Nov. 9,1897.

TUR p? INI/EN Ml/:f Atamey iINiTED STATES PATENT rricE.

JOHN WOLF, JR., OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO TI-IE WOLF ELEC- TRICALPROMOTING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CLOTH-CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,265, dated November9, 189'?.

Application filed July 29, 1897. Serial No. 645,346. (No model.)

To (tu whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WOLF, Jr., a citizen of the United States,residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cloth-CuttingMachines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invent-ion, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to cloth-cutting machines of the class typifiedin certain prior patents. (See Nos. 505,689 and 505,690,dated September26, 1893, and No. 528,217, dated October 30, 1394:.) These machines aredesigned more particularly for cutting cloth for the manufacture ofwearing-apparel, and the present invention has in View certainimprovements calculated to better adapt the machine to this class ofwork.

One specic object is to improve the equipment of the footplate, so thatit can be moved about more easily, this being accomplished by reducingfriction to the minimum.

Another object is to adapt the machine for cutting higher piles ofmaterial than heretofore, this being made possible by a remodeling ofthe framework and rearrangement of the gearing.

A third object is to provide simpler and more convenient knife-sharpening appliances and to arrange a knife-guard in connection therewith.

A fourth object is to accurately balance the weight of the parts abovethe standard or shank of the machine, so as to prevent undue lateralstrain on said standard or shank and also to obviate a topplingtendency.

With the above-stated objects in view the invention consists in certainnovel constructions, arrangements, and combinations of partsspeciiically described hereinafter and whose essential characteristicsare recited in the appended claims. p

Of the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification,illustrating embodiments of the invention, Figure l represents a sideelevation of a machine embodying the invention with the footplate incentral longitudinal section. Fig. 2 represents a vertical cross-sectionlooking from front to rear, with the most of the upper part of themachine in elevation. Fig. 3 represents a plan View of the upper part ofthe machine. Fig. 4 represents a top plan View of the foot-plate. Fig. 5represents a bottom plan view of the same. Fig. 6 represents a sectionon line VI VI of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 represents a front elevation of themachine with the knife sharpener or grinder shown in acting position.Fig. S represents a det-ail sectional view of the grinding devices. Fig.9 represents a detail sectional view of the supporting devices for theknife Sharpener or grinder. Fig. 10 shows a front elevation of amodified form of the machine.

Similar letters of reference are applied to corresponding parts in theseveral figures of the drawings.

The foot-plate A (shown in Figs. l, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7) is formed withtwo sloping sides u. and, on the under side at the junction of saidsloping sides and the top, with shoulders or flanges a', flush with theouter ends of rectangular openings a2, four of which are pro vided inthe top of the plate at the four corners thereof. On the under side ofthe plate, at the inner ends of these openings, lugs a3 are formed andgrooved longitudinally in their lower faces, for a purpose which willpresently appear. In further explanation of the formation of thefoot-plate it is to be noted that rounded lugs d4 are formed on itsbottom at each end midway between the lugs as and nearer the end of thefoot-plate than the latter. The middle portion of the plate is cast witha circular depression a5 and a boss as, surrounding the same.

Reverting to the construction of the under side of the foot-plate at theends thereof, the grooves in each pair of lugs d3 receive a sha-ft b,whose ends lie behind the shoulders a', which thus prevent endwisemovement of the shaft. The latter is prevented from dropping by an armb', which is fastened by a screw b2 to the lug a4 and extends under theshaft, as clearly shown in Fig. l. This arm also extends forward andupward, as shown at b3, for a purpose hereinafter explained.

The two shafts h are not intended to revolve, but they simply formjournals on which rollers c are mounted, the said rollers being confinedbetween the shoulders a and lugsv siderable, but running on ball-bearingrollers, as above described, it can be moved about with the greatestease. It is apparent that the roller-bearings might be in the form ofrolls instead of balls.

The front and rear ends of the foot-plate have preferably associatedwith them clothlifters, each consisting of a plate d of substantiallysemi-elliptical contour, the straight edge fitting up against the end ofthe footplate and having formed with or secured to and projecting fromit a pair of iiat arms d', which extend under the foot-plate and attheir inner ends have a semitubular form, as shown at cl2, so as to takeover and pivot upon the shaft b. lt will thus be seen that a gravitatingpivotal cloth-lifter is provided, the curved edge of the cloth-liftingplate d resting by gravity on the surface traversed, so thatirregularities in such surface cannot prevent the proper feeding of thecloth to the cutter.

The plate presents a sloping surface, rising from the surface traversedto the top surface of the foot-plate, and at each side of theclothlifting plate is inclined, as shown at d3, to conform to theinclination of the sides d of the foot-plate. It will thus be seen thatwith the two cloth-lifters in place the foot-plate presents slopingsurfaces on all sides, so that in whatever direction the machine ismoved the foot -plate passes smoothly under the cloth.

It is to be noted that while the foot-plate is provided with pivotalgravitating clothlifters a practical continuity in its sloping sides ispreserved, a provision obviously well calculated to insure the bestresults in practice. Downward movement of the clothlifters is limited bythe angular ends b3 of the arms b', which ends project up under thecloth-lifters. These stop-pieces come into play when the machine islifted from the supporting-surface and when -the cloth-lifters runbeyond such surface.

While the two pivotal cloth-lifters, one at each end of the foot-plate,are of great advantage, the machine can be successfully run with but onecloth-lifter, that being at the front end of the foot-plate, and, infact, cloth-lifters as separate devices can be dispensed withaltogether, the foot-plate being' inclined at front and back, as well asat the sides, as shown in Fig. lO.

Passing from the foot-plate the letter E designates a standard, which isformed with a circular base e, occupying the depression a5 in thefoot-plate and securely fastened to the latter by a suitable number ofscrews c".

The standard is preferablya casting, which is made as thin as consistentwith the necessary strength anddurability, and it has a series ofcircular recesses c2, e3, and e4 in one side, one above another,andopening into each other, the said recesses being for the accommodationof intermeshing gear-wheels f, j", and f2, which journal respectivelyupon studs e5, e, and e7, formed on the standard at the centers of therecesses. These gear-wheels are mounted upon ball-bearings in thefollowingdescribed manner: The hub of each gearwheel is formed on itsinterior with an encircling groove f3, V-shaped in cross-section, andthe stud of the standard is screw-threaded to receive a pair cf rings f4and f5 of frustoconical form. A row of balls f6 occupies the racewayformed between the sides of the groove f3 and thetapered sides of therings f4 and f5, and it will be seen that a fourpoint bearing for theballs is thus provided. so that the gears will turn with the leastpossible friction.

The lowermost gear-wheel f carries the circular disk knife g, which fitsover its hub and is clamped against the side of the gear by a collar g',screwing onto a threaded portion of said hub. The knife is positivelyprevented from turning on said hub by a pin` g2, which engages groovesor notches on the hub and knife. The knife lies close `against the sideof the standard and projects beyond the front of the same, while itsrear edge is guarded by a curved flange e8, formed on the standard andclearly shown in Fig. l. The base e or' the standard is slotted, asshown at e9, the

lower part of the knife working in said slot.

and a roundedinclined hump h rises around this slot, said hump beingpreferably of hardened steel, secured to the foot-plate by brazing yorin any other suitable manner, and merging into the latter at a pointsomewhat in advance of where the knife-edge leaves the base, the saidhump rising gradually from that point to a point substantially in acentral vertical line of the knife, whence it drops abruptly to thebase. This hump is rounded transversely from end to end and its purposeis to prevent the cut edges of the cloth from being drawn in under theknife.

Proceeding next to a description of the motor and the means forsupporting the same, with reference more particularly to Figs. l, and 3,it need first be explained that the standard E is formed near its upperend with a pair of outwardly-curved prongs or horns e10 on its sideopposite that in which the knife is carried, and the pole-pieces F of anelectric motor are fitted against these horns and secured to the same bythe long screws j. The pole-pieces have angular extensions FQ whichoverhang the opposite or knife side of the standard and support betweenthem the IOO field-coil G, whose weight, disposed at this side of thestandard, counterbalances the weight of parts on the other side of thestandard.

The reference-letter I designates the armature between the pole-piecesand on a shaft I', carrying keyed to it a pinion i in mesh with theuppermost gea-r f2 of-the train in the standard. The said armatureshaftis journaled in the following manner: One end projects over the top ofthe standard E and is embraced by a tubular bearing 7c at the upper endof a plate k', the bearing and plate being preferably cast together inone piece. The plate is secured against the side of the standard andconstitutes a cover for the upper portion of the gear f and the whole ofthe gear f2, the said plate being recessed on the inner side, as shownat k2, to accommodate the hub of said gear j The plate terminates abovethe knife and its lower edge forms a continuation of the guard-flangee3. The ltubular portion la at the upper end of the plate is recessed toreceive rings n and u', one of which is simply slipped into the recess,While the other is exteriorly screwthreaded for engagement with interiorscrewthreads in the recess. These rings have beveled confronting faces,which, together with a V-shaped groove in a collar n2 on the shaft I',forni a raceway for a row of balls n3.

It will be observed that the tubular por tion t: extends over the pinion1', thus housing the same.

rlhe opposite end of the shaft I is supported in a bearing m, formed atthe center of a yoke M, which is secured at its ends to the pole-pieces.The said bearing at the middle of the yoke is recessed to receive aplain and a screw-threaded ring m' and m2, having beveled confrontingfaces, forming, with a V- shaped groove in a collar m3 on the shaft, araceway for a row of balls m4. The shaft is formed at this end with anenlargement or head 0, and at the other end is screw-threaded to receivea nut o' for the purpose of tying the parts together and preventingendwise movement of the shaft.

The yoke M is formed with lugs p above and below the bearing 'm tosupport the brushes q for the commutator J. Said yoke also has a lugfr', supporting a lamp-socket o" for an incandescent lamp R. Y

The arrangement for electrical connections is as follows: A board N, ofinsulating material, is secured across the tops of the polepieces andupon it is mounted a switch O, and two pins or posts S, with which areconnected the wires t, from the lield-coil G, the one wire directly andthe other through the switch. In similar connection with said posts arewires q', leading to the commutatorbrushes, respectively. Metallic tubesa, in-

serted 'in the insulation N and contacting with the said pins or posts,respectively, are designed to receivespring-wire ends ofconducting-wires r3, leading to the lamp R. The

wires c from the source of electrical supply have sockets c at theirends to lit over and make electrical connection with the pins or postsS, said sockets having covers of insulating material, so that they canbe handled without danger. It will be understood that these wires o willbe connected with some suitable take-up apparatus-such, for enaniple, asshown in my Patent No. 505,741, granted September 2G, lSQS-so that themachine can be moved freely about while a connection with a source ofelectricity is maintained.

It is desirable in machines of this kind to have a knife-sharpeningequipment carried by the machine and adapted to be brought into actionat any time, so as to keep the knife sharp whatever may be the characterof the material being cut. This is provided for in the present case bythe following-described construction, reference being had moreparticularly to Figs. l, 7, S, and 9. Into alug w, formed on thegear-covering plate 7s', is screwed a stud w', which has a recessed head102, housing a spiral spring w3. An arm ispivotally mounted on said studbetween the lug and the spiral spring, and the latter presses said armagainst the face of the lug, normally holding it in a vertical plane, asshown in Fig. 9. The opening in the arm where it surrounds the stud issufficiently enlarged to permit a lateral rocking or tilting of the armin either direction against the stress of the spring w3, opposite edgesof the lug w affording fulcra for the arm, as indicated by broken linesin Fig. 9 and also illustrated in Fig. 7.

The outer or free end of the arm c; has a bifurcated head as' withdivergent arms m2, which support rotary grinders y in the form of ringstting in suitable holders y, journaled upon studs y2 on said divergentarms. The grinding-rings are thus obliquely set, and their confrontingedges are designed to act upon opposite sides of the knife to grind thesame on a double bevel. Normally the grinders are both out of the planeof the knife, as illustrated in Fig. 8. By means of a handle fy,fastened to the head m', either grinder can be moved into contact withthe knife by tilting the arm :ein the manner hereinbefore described andwill then partake of the rotary motion of the knife and sharpen the sameby an abrading action. As before stated, the said arm a: is pivoted tothe stud w and hence can be moved in a vertical plane and thrown uptothe full-line position shown in Fig. l to have the grinders out of theway when not in use. Then the arm is in its lower position, (indicatedby broken lines in Fig. 1,) the knife-edge is obviously guarded, butwhen thrown up to the fullline position this guard is removed, and hencean additional provision is made for guarding the knife-edge in the formof a curved arm z, which is adj ustably secured to the arm a: by meansof a screw e', passing IOO throughca slot in said curved arm andentering the grinder-arm. This curved arm is secured at such an angle tothe grinder-arm that with the latter thrown up to the fullline positionshown in Fig. l the curved arm vextends in front of the knife-edge.

Of course the number of gear-wheels inY the train leading from thearmature-shaft to the knife may be Varied, and many other changes can bemade in the construction above describedWithout departing from thespirit and scope of the invention.

In the modification shown in Fig. 10 afoot- Aplate A' is shown withsloping sides all around and no pivoted cloth-lifters. The standard E',instead of having prongs or horns against which the motor is fastened,is formed with a shelf E2, on which the motor rests and to which it isfastened. The gearcovering plate y7c3 has its upper edge flush With theupper surface of said shelf, to which said plate is fastened by screws7a4, passing through lugs formed on these parts. The bearing R5 for theend of the armature-shaft on the knife side of the standard is in thismodification a separate piece from the gearcovering plate and is mountedupon and fastened to a ledge or shelf formed at the upper end of thelatter. In this form of machine, as in the one before described, theparts of the motor are so disposed with respect to the median verticalline of the machine as to equally balance the Weight and obviate anytendency of the machine to topple over as it is moved about.

In each form of embodiment of the invention here illustrated a suitablemanipulatinghandle Z is fastened to a lug on the standard and projectsrearwardly for the operator to grasp in the usual manner.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of afoot-plate having supports for one or more shafts and angular openingsin its upper side, shafts engaging said supports, rollers on said shaftsand occupying the openings in the foot-plate, roller-bearings interposedbetween the shafts and the rollers, and retainers for saidroller-bearings eX- tending into the openings in the foot-plate andconfined by the Walls thereof.

2. In a-machine of the character described,

a foot-plate having grooved lugs on the under side and shouldersconfronting the outer ends of said lugs, a shaft occupying the groovesof the said lugs With its ends behind the said shoulders, means forretaining the shaft in such position, and rollers on the shaft.

3. Ina machine of the character described, a foot-plate having groovedlugs on the under side, and shoulders confronting the outer ends of saidlugs, a shaft occupying the grooves of said lugs with its ends behindthe said shoulders, means for retaining the shaft in such position, androllers on the shaft hetWeen the lugs and the shoulders.

4. In a machine of the character described. a foot-plate having groovedlugs on the under side and shoulders confronting the outer ends of saidlugs, a shaft occupying the grooves of the said lugs with its endsbehind the said shoulders, means for retaining the shaft in suchposition, rollers on the shaft between the lugs and the shoulders, androllerbearings interposed between the rollers and the shaft.

5. In a machine of the character described, a foot-plate having groovedlugs on the under side and shoulders confronting the outer ends of saidlugs, a shaft occupying the grooves of the saidlugs with its ends behindthe said shoulders, means for retaining the shaft in such position,rollers on the shaft between the lugs and the shoulders, and balls andretaining-rings interposed between the rollers and the shaft.

6. In a machine of the character described, a foot-plate having aroller-equipped shaft and a gravitating cloth-lifter pivotally engagedwith and supported by said shaft.

7. In a machine of the character described, a foot-plate having aroller-equipped shaft, a gravitating cloth-lifter pivotally engaged withsaid shaft, and a shaft-confining andcloth-lifter-movement-limitingpiece fastened to a suitable part of thefoot-plate and adapted to engage the shaft and the cloth-lifter, for thepurpose described.

8. In a machine of the character described1 a foot-plate having aroller-equipped shaft. a gravitating cloth-lifter pivotally engaged withsaid shaft, and a shaft-confining and cloth-lifter-movement-limitingpiece fastened to a suitable part of the foot-plate and extending underthe shaft and cloth-lifter.

9. In a machine of the character described, the combination of asubstantially rectangular foot-plate with sloping sides, and gravitatingcloth-lifters pivoted to the ends of the foot-plate and inclined attheir sides to correspond With the sloping sides of the footplate, thecloth -lifters extending entirely across the foot-plate and presentingthere- With a practically continuous sloping marginal portion,substantially as described.

10. In a machine of the character' described, a foot-plate havingpivotally connected therewith at each end a gravitating cloth-lifter ex-IOC IIO

ISO

tending entirely across it, and means for limiting downward movement ofthe same when the foot-plate is raised.

1l. In a machine ofthe character described, a foot-plate having on itsunder side grooved lugs and a centrally-located lu g, a shaft occupyingthe grooves of the lugs, rollers on said shaft, a gravitatingclothlifter fitting up against the end of the foot-plate and having armswhich pivot on said shaft, and an angular piece fastened to thecentrally-located lug and extending under the shaft to confine it inplace and under the cloth-lifter to limit its downward movement when thefoot-plate is raised.

12. In a machine of the character described, the combination of afoot-plate, a standard rising therefrom and recessed for a train ofgearing and formed with a curved flange along the lower part of its rearedge, gears in the recesses, a knife associated with the lowermost gearwith its back edge guarded by said curved hange of the standard, agear-covering fastened to the standard over its recesses above theknife, the lower edge of the said covering forming a continuation of theknife-guarding flange, and a suitable motor in gear with said train ofgearing.

13. In a machine of the character described, the combination of afoot-plate, a standard rigidly attached thereto and rising therefrom andrecessed for a train of gearing, gears j our naled on said. standard andoccupying said recesses, a circular knife fastened to the lowermostgear, a motor associated with the uppermost gear, and a gear-coveringfastened to the standard and having formed with it and projecting abovethe standard a bearing for one end of the motor-shaft.

11i. In a machine of the character described, the combination with astandard and a knife thereon, of a knife-Sharpener comprising an armcarrying a grinder and pivoted to the standard to swing substantially inthe plane of the knife into and out of position for grinding, said armalso laterally movable to carry the grinder into and out of contact withthe knife.

15. In a machine of the character described, the combination with astandard and a knife thereon, of a knife-Sharpener comprising an armcarrying a grinder and pivoted to the standard to swing substantially inthe plane of the knife into and out of position for grinding, said armalso arranged to rock laterally on its pivot to carry the grinder intoand out of contact with the knife, and a spring to hold the arm in acentral position.

16. In amachine ofthe character described, the combination with astandard and a knife thereon, of a knife-Sharpener comprising an armpivoted to swing in a plane parallel with the knife and also laterallymovable, and a pair of obliquely-set rotary grinders on said arm.

17. In a machine of the character described, the combination with astandard and a knife thereon of a knife-Sharpener comprising an armpivoted to swing toward and from the knife and a grinder carried by saidarm; and

a knife-guard fastened to the grinder-arm and projecting therefromwhereby it is adapted to extend in front of the knife when thegrinder-arm is moved away from the knife.

18. In a machine of the character described, the combination of afoot-plate, a standard rising therefrom, a train of gearing supported bysaid standard, a disk-knife secured to the lowermost gear, an electricmotor whose polepieces are secured to the standard on one side thereof,said pole-pieces having extensions overhanging the opposite side of thestandard, an armature-shaft in gear with the said train of gearing andcarrying its armature on one side of the standard, a field-coil betweenthe pole-piece extensions on the opposite side of the standard, andsuitable electrical connections, substantially as described.

19. In amachine of the character described, the combination of astandard having a lug in one side and a pivot-pin fastened in said lug,a knife mounted on said standard, an arm loosely mounted on the saidpivot-pin so as to be capable of rotary movement in substantially theplane of the knife and also of lateral movement substantially at rightangles thereto, opposite edges of the lug affording fulcra for said armin its lateral movements; a spring pressing the arm against the lug, andgrinding means carried by the arm for acting against the knife,substantially as described.

20. In a machine of the character described, the combination of astandard having a lug on one side, a knife mounted on said standard, apivot-pin fastened in said lug and having a recessed head, an armpivotally mounted on said pin with provisions for lateral play, a spiralspring surrounding the pin between its recessed head and the arm andpressing the latter against the lug, and one or more obliquely-setgrinding-disks on said arm and adapted to be alternately brought incontact with the knife, substantially as described.

21. In a machine of the character described, the combination of afoot-plate, a gravitating cloth-lifter pivoted thereto, and a stop-piecefastened to the foot-plate and extending under the cloth-lifter to limitdownward movement thereof, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN WOLF, JR. Vitnesses:

J Aims GUNNING, J Anus NUGENT.

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